There have been numerous efforts to provide a workable, easily erected tree stand for hunters and photographers. Prior art teaches that these devices should be made as an assembly which is unfolded for field erection in the manner of Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,476, Bandy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,490 or White, U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,446. Portability is certainly a virtue, to which packaging contributes, but when carrying the unit for any distance, weight is a more significant factor. The reality is, that a configuration which depends upon a significant degree of field assembly will generally be heavier and more expensive as a result. While a measure of portability is needed, ease and versatility of erection are actually more important. Moreover, the complexity of adjustable, loose or folding parts reduces durability and increases costs.
Safety in use is a more important consideration than package size. A stand must provide safe access to a stable sitting or standing observation perch. Typically, the prior art teaches a ladder, which may be strapped to the tree, having a seat or small platform at the top which is separately secured to the tree. The user is exposed to an obvious risk when he must secure the seat to the tree trunk while standing on a minimal ladder. In addition, most property owners value their trees, sometimes as an ecological consideration, sometimes as a cash crop, and a hunter who scars a tree with his stand risks loss of future access to the location. Thus, stabilizing the stand with picks or teeth that penetrate the bark of the tree will detract from its utility.
A first object of the present invention is therefore to provide a stand which can be readily and safely secured to virtually any size tree without climbing. A second object is that when secured, this stand must be stable and safe to ascend for use in either a sitting or standing position, and that this stability must not be at the expense of a mutilated tree. A third object of the invention is that portability and low cost, hence ultimate marketability, are not sacrificed to achieve utility.
In achieving these objects, the present invention uses a tubular member as ladder but departs from prior teachings in the structural application of this same member as both a beam and a column. The tubular member is erected adjacent to a stationary entity such as a tree, utility pole or the like and is secured tightly at mid-span and only at mid-span. The securing means must be a type appropriate for high-tension applications with a lever handle to provide mechanical advantage for tensioning. The high tension causes a portion of the length of the tubular member to be preloaded against the tree surface with a force sufficient to provide absolute stability under all normal loading conditions. The tubular member deflects locally under the force, and the surface of the tree compresses, forming a loaded contact patch large enough to support the portion extended above the strap. Trees typically bell out somewhat near ground level so that the member must deflect to match the concave profile, or the member may be secured to a utility pole having a virtually straight profile. The member may also be placed in a raised position so that its lower end is unsupported. In any case, the preload force is applied over an area large enough that there is no surface penetration or damage.
The ladder length can be such as to fit in a pick-up truck bed with the mid-span strap attachment placed at a level readily reachable from the ground. Welded steel tubular construction gives a finished stand assembly weighing approximately 40 pounds, and less using aluminum, so that it is easy to carry and erect. The tubular member can also be made with a moment bearing joint, for a more convenient package length, with only a minor weight penalty and no significant functional compromise.